Ohio University Professor and Chair of Environmental and Plant Biology Jared DeForest will offer practical steps gardeners can take to improve the health of their garden’s soil, to better prepare for the changes to our climate. As the weather becomes more extreme, pests and plant diseases are becoming more common. Healthy soils, according to DeForest, are more resistant to changes in temperature and moisture, and they can support a greater diversity of microbes that help plants grow strong and healthy. This can help your plants resist diseases, recover from damage more quickly, and reduce the risk of soil-borne pathogens.